A very full EuroTrash bag this Monday. Race news from Tour de Pologne, Vuelta a Burgos, Tour of Leuven – Memorial Jef Scherens, Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden and the Commonwealth Games road race and time trial, all with video. Philippe Gilbert concerned about rider safety – TOP STORY. Rider news: Primoz Roglič training, contracts for Juan Ayuso, Jan Hirt, Tim Merlier, Casper Pedersen, Chris Harper, Josh Tarling, Andrea Piccolo, Jacopo Guarnieri, Dylan Teuns, Filippo Zana, Rafal Majka, Diego Ulissi, Brandon McNulty, Mikkel Bjerg, Simon Clarke, Matteo Trentin, Vegard Stake Laengen and Ivo & Rui Oliveira. Team news: Tom Dumoulin to work with Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, cross-men Thijs and Toon Aerts to Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB announces cyclocross program and Jempy Drucker to be Luxembourg national coach. Race news: Trofeo Matteotti canceled. Plus the Link My Ride app co-founded by Tom Pidcock. Monday coffee time.
TOP STORY: Philippe Gilbert Concerned About Rider Safety: “Should Finally be Taken Seriously”
Philippe Gilbert has shared his concerns regarding the safety of the peloton following the massive crash in the Vuelta a Burgos. The Lotto Soudal rider is the representative of the UCI Athletes Commission. “I have asked the UCI to draw up a protocol whereby courses are checked and approved in advance, especially at the finishes. Unfortunately, this has still not happened.”
In the second stage of the Vuelta a Burgos there was a massive crash. In the final kilometres, the riders had to pass over a speed bump going slightly downhill. David Dekker crashed and went down and a lot of riders behind him had no choice but to either hit the road or the barriers. The race organisers blamed Dekker.
Gilbert, one of the older riders of the bunch, commented on the situation on Twitter. “I give my heart to all the riders who crashed in the Vuelta a Burgos. I defend the safety of the riders and I disapprove of this state of affairs.”
“I have asked the UCI to draw up a protocol whereby courses, and especially the finishes, are checked and approved in advance. This still hasn’t happened. It is the riders who are still the victims of the negligence. It is time to take such security issues seriously.”
“Things will have to change,” concluded the 40 year-old, who is in his last season as a rider.
The Burgos carnage:
Tour de Pologne 2022
The Sixth Stage of the 79th Tour de Pologne confirmed the expectations of the fans. On the fast course linking Nowy Targ, Gronków and the ski resort of Rusiński, Thymen Arensman (DSM) clocked the best time of 17:40, covering the 11.8km at an average speed of 40.075 kph. Magnus Sheffield (INEOS-Grenadiers) followed at 0:07 and placed 2nd, while Ethan Hayter completed the podium 8 seconds behind.
While the Dutchman celebrated his first professional victory, Ethan Hayter, British national time trial champion, is the first Briton to wear the yellow jersey in the history of the Tour de Pologne. He now leads the general classification by 11 seconds ahead of today’s stage winner and 18 seconds ahead of Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious).
The race started at 1:54pm with Patryk Stosz (POL), leader of the LOTTO Most Active Rider classification, and ended with Sergio Higuita (BOH), who stood on the starting ramp at 4:20pm and finished his stage in 38:27. The BORA-hansgrohe rider limited the damages but dropped to 8th place in the overall classification, 32 seconds behind the INEOS Grenadiers rider, Hayter.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, Thymen Arensman (DSM): “Today is a special day because it is my first victory as a professional which also coincided with a WorldTour success. I had already been close to victory a few times this year, especially at the Giro d’Italia, and I finally did it today. It’s a special feeling. The time trial was very nice, it was a matter of staying in an aerodynamic position as much as possible and pushing, as the road was climbing all the time. I think I interpreted the race well. The finish was hard but in the end my performance was good enough to win. Now I am also second in the overall ranking which is an added bonus for me. I have no regrets, I lost ground in the third stage, on the Przemysl climb but it is too steep for me anyway. I am a more long, steady climbs’ rider and on that stage I lost a bit too much to Ethan. It is what it is. My goal is still to try to improve myself as much as possible.”
Overall leader and 3rd on the stage, Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers): “The time trial was pretty much uphill from the start and in the finish you really had to push. It was a good time trial. This morning we analysed the course and did the recon but I didn’t feel great, I’m not exactly a recon specialist. However, during the time trial I gave it my all and I am happy with my result which completes a great team effort. Tomorrow I have to stay out of trouble, I hope for a sprint and a relaxing day. I hope to stay on my bike. For sure some teams will try some moves and we will have to be ready as a team. I am surprised to be the first Briton as there have been so many good riders from my country before me. It is an additional source of pride.”
8th overall, Sergio Higuita (BORA-hansgrohe): “It was a solid time trial for me today. In the last two time trials I did I performed pretty well, and I think I’m improving every time in this discipline. So now we’re still in the top 10 in the GC, and with a stage win in the bag, we can be pleased with our Tour of Poland so far. I also want to wish my teammate Jordi all the best and a speedy recovery after his crash today.”
White jersey leader, Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ): “Tomorrow’s stage is suitable for sprinters, on paper, but we will have to be careful in the first part of the race with some demanding KOMs. Yesterday in Rzeszow I finished second and I have a good feeling. It will once again be a sprint with many contenders.”
Tour de Pologne Stage 6 Result:
1. Thymen Arensman (Ned) DSM in 17:40
2. Magnus Sheffield (USA) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:07
3. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:08
4. Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:20
5. Marco Brenner (Ger) DSM at 0:26
6. Ben Tulett (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:28
7. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:30
8. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco at 0:31
9. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:32
10. Mark Padun (Ukr) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:35.
Tour de Pologne Overall After Stage 6:
1. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 24:27:03
2. Thymen Arensman (Ned) DSM at 0:11
3. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:18
4. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco at 0:23
5. Ben Tulett (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:25
6. Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:31
7. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:32
8. Sergio Higuita (Col) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates at 0:45
10. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:50.
Pologne’22 stage 6:
The 79th edition of the Tour de Pologne ended with a powerful sprint from Arnaud Démare on the iconic Krakow finish line of Stage 7. The Frenchman out-sprinted Olav Kooji (Jumbo-Visma) and Phil Bahuaus (Bahrain-Victorious). Démare also took the white LOTOS sprinters’ jersey, which he won ahead of Olav Kooji.
The 177.8-kilometre stage started in Skawina at Valsir (Poland) and ended in Krakow. After a hilly section, the riders tackled a 5km city circuit, to be raced three times. After several breakaway attempts which were soon caught by the peloton, Julius Johansen (IWG), Alessandro De Marchi (IPT), Jarrad Drizners (LTS), Syver Waersted (UXT) and Patryk Stosz (POL) managed to distance themselves from the peloton and reach a maximum gap of over 4 minutes.
With around 15km to go, De Marchi attacked from the two remaining breakaway companions, Drizners and Johansen, and set off solo, joined by Nans Peters (ACT). The two escapees were caught just before the final lap. The UNO-X team attempted an unsuccessful attack with 4.2km to go, and the stage ended with a bunch sprint as expected. Ethan Hayter confirmed his overall lead to be the first Briton to win the Tour de Pologne and taking home his first professional one-week Tour. The final stage held no surprises for the podium, which remained unchanged with Thymen Arensman (DSM) 2nd and 0:11, and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) third at 0:18. Thanks to his courageous attacks, Jarrad Rizners (Lotto Soudal) took the best climber PZU jersey, with 23 points on Alessandro De Marchi, while INEOS-Grenadier completed its Polish campaign with a victory in the team classification. Patryk Stosz wore the Lotto Most Active Rider jersey, Ben Tullet regained the Bjorg Lambrecht prize for the best U23 rider. The best Polish rider was Jakub Kaczmarek (POL).
Stage winner, Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ): “It was not one of my favourite sprints because I was right in the middle of the bunch with one kilometre to go. I tried to find my way out and saw an opening. Coming from the back, I was pretty fast and found a way to pass on the left. I knew that if I let Ackermann pass, he would close me down and when I saw that I could pass I took advantage of it and pushed hard and no one was behind me. It was a very nice way to end this Tour de Pologne. At the start in Lublin we knew there would be a lot of sprinters so this victory and points jersey taste even better. I also proved myself in the hard stages because I worked on every little detail and improved my condition. This will definitely be good for me for the rest of the season with the European championships and the last part of the season.”
Overall winner, Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers): “Taking the jersey yesterday was a real opportunity and it was about finishing the good work done. The team was wonderful, especially in the first part of today’s stage where they controlled the breakaway attempts and allowed me to be more relaxed. Today was perhaps the most difficult stage because of the great heat. Overall it was a good Tour for me. The third stage with the Przemysl climb and the time trial were two completely different stages but both important. I’m just sorry I crashed in the stage finishing in Sanok, because I really wanted to try to sprint. I will remember this Tour de Pologne for a long time and if I have to isolate a moment, crossing the finish line in the Yellow jersey today was a very strong emotion.”
KOM, Jarrad Rizners (Lotto Soudal): “Our goal today was to keep this jersey within the team and I managed to get in todays’ breakaway. I had a bit of pressure but I’m happy to have done it for the team. It was a very special edition for me, as it was my first race back after a serious injury. I had no expectations, and to be able to bring home the first jersey of my pro career is just fantastic.”
Best young rider, Ben Tulett (INEOS Grenadiers): “I am happy to have won it again. What happened to Bjorg affects everyone in the peloton, he was a strong and gritty rider and his memory must not be forgotten. On a personal level it was a good Tour de Pologne, the team did very well, I took fifth place and I am really satisfied.”
Tour de Pologne Stage 7 Result:
1. Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ in 3:59:20
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
3. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Victorious
4. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar
5. Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
6. Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
7. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis
8. Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
9. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
10. Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco.
Tour de Pologne Final Overall Result:
1. Ethan Hayter (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 28:26:23
2. Thymen Arensman (Ned) DSM at 0:11
3. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:18
4. Matteo Sobrero (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco at 0:23
5. Ben Tulett (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:25
6. Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:31
7. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 0:32
8. Sergio Higuita (Col) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates at 0:45
10. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 0:50.
Pologne’22 stage 7:
Vuelta a Burgos 2022
Bastien Tronchon was the surprising winner of the Third Stage of the Tour of Burgos. The 20-year-old French stagiaire of AG2R Citroën was part of the early break, managed to hook up with Pavel Sivakov in the final and then beat the INEOS Grenadiers rider in Villarcayo. Sivakov took over the lead from Colombian Santiago Buitrago.
The day after the mass sprint in Villadiego, marred by a big crash, the Vuelta a Burgos continued with another tough stage. The Alto de Cereceda (3.3km at 5.1%) and Alto de Retuerta (6.8km at 3.6%) were the first climbs, but the final really started at 45 kilometres from the finish. The Picón Blanco (7.8km at 9%) was the highlight of the stage. After the top of the Picón Blanco there were still 37 kilometres to the finish, but the Alto de Bocos (2.2km at 5.5%) could provide an up-set.
The early break – unlike the previous days – took a while to form. From a fast start, several escape attempts were nipped in the bud. It was only after many groups had tried, that five riders managed to stay away from the peloton and build a nice lead. They were: Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma), Bastien Tronchon (AG2R Citroën), Vojtěch Řepa (Equipo Kern Pharma), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Jesus Ezquerra (Burgos-BH). Their lead went to over 4 minutes. Two riders, Ibai Azurmendi (Euskatel-Euskadi) and Edward Ravasi (EOLO-Kometa), tried to cross. The Spaniard and Italian got to 40 seconds from the front of the race, but closing the last gap turned out to be a bit too much and after a while the two riders were caught by the peloton. At the foot of the very tough Picón Blanco the gap between the leading group and the peloton was still 3 minutes, but at the top of the climb there was little left of the lead. In the peloton the better climbers came forward. Vincenzo Nibali was the first to jump and was joined by two INEOS Grenadiers riders: man-in-form Pavel Sivakov and Tao Geogehan Hart. Nibali and Hart were soon pulled back, but Sivakov clearly had some left in the tank and went again. The 25-year-old rider went into battle with another Astana Qazaqstan rider, Miguel Ángel López, just before the top. On the steep part of the climb, Sivakov and López rode further and further away from a chasing group of about 20 riders, where leader Santiago Buitrago was now on his own. At the front of the race, there was little left of the original leading group. Nicolau and Řepa proved too strong for their fellow escapees and rode away through the fog to the top of the Picón Blanco.
The two remaining escapees had Sivakov and López on their necks: at the top the difference was only 30 seconds for Nicolau and Řepa. The Buitrago group followed at the top one minute from the front of the race, and a good half minute from Sivakov and López. On the foggy and dangerous descent, Sivakov used his descending abilities and managed to leave López behind and catch Tronchon and soon passed Nicolau and Řepa. Tronchon and Nicolau managed to follow Sivakov in the final descending kilometres of the Picón Blanco, Řepa was unable to catch up and was caught by López. The three front riders rode towards the foot of the Alto de Bocos (2.2km at 5.5%), with 10 kilometres to go on the last climb of the day. Even before this slope, Sivakov rode at a good pace, which was disastrous for Nicolau, who was dropped. Tronchon managed to use his last reserves to stay with Sivakov over the top of the Alto de Bocos. Tronchon then had hold Sivakov’s wheel. Sivakov rode on with a view to a possible overall victory. Tronchon let Sivakov do the work in the last kilometres and went past him in the final hundred metres. The stagieire of AG2R Citroën took his first victory among the professionals, surprisingly but certainly not undeserved. Sivakov was also a winner, as he took the leader’s jersey from Buitrago. The Colombian came in half a minute later in a chasing group, where the sprint was won by Alejandro Valverde. Sivakov is now in the lead on GC with Buitrago at 23 seconds, Ruben Guerreiro is third on 26 seconds.
Stage winner, Bastien Tronchon (AG2R Citroën): “It still hasn’t sunken in. Words are hard to find. It’s an incredible day. I spent the stage at the front with a view to starting the climb of the Picon Blanco as far ahead as possible. I managed my climb without worrying about the others and managed to crest just before the general favourites.
The descent was very technical but I was able to hang onto Pavel Sivakov’s wheel until the finish. I have been progressing little by little over the past few years and I am happy to be this active in my first race as a professional stagiaire. I hope to continue to provide what the team wants from me for the rest of the season.”
Vuelta a Burgos Stage 3 Result:
1. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) AG2R Citroën in 3:42:17
2. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at 0:28
4. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost
5. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
6. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
7. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious
8. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
9. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
10. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education-EasyPost
Vuelta a Burgos Overall After Stage 3:
1. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers in 11:14:36
2. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:23
3. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:26
4. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:28
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
8. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Laurens De Plus (INEOS Grenadiers
10. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
Burgos’22 stage 3:
Matevž Govekar won the Fourth Stage of the Tour of Burgos. The Slovenian, who turned pro on August 1 with Bahrain-Victorious, was part of the large leading group and was the fastest in the difficult last kilometre. It is Govekar’s first win with the pros. Pavel Sivakov held the overall lead.
The stage had a fairly undulating profile, but without real mountains. It was expected in advance that some sprinters would have a chance after 169 kilometres. The last two kilometres went up at 4.9%, with a maximum of 7% at 400 meters before the finish-line.
There was a leading group of fourteen early in the stage. Sprinter, Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) was joined by Matevz Govekar (Bahrain-Victorious), Patrick Gamper (BORA-hansgrohe), Lluís Mas (Movistar), Lennard Hofstede (Jumbo-Visma), Pieter Serry (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Dario Cataldo (Trek-Segafredo), David de la Cruz (Astana Qazaqstan), Omer Goldstein (Israel-Premier Tech), Valentin Retailleau (AG2R Citroën), Fernando Barceló (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Xabier Mikel Azparren (Euskaltel Euskadi), David Martin (EOLO-Kometa) and Brandon Smith Rivera (INEOS Grenadiers). Rivera, was the best-placed rider at 3:18 behind his teammate Pavel Sivakov. With the early break having a lead of 3:20 seconds with 90 kilometres to go, the Colombian took the virtual lead. The work of Burgos BH and Equipo Kern Pharma, who had both missed the break, initially didn’t change anything and the gap grew to 4 minutes. INEOS Grenadiers contributed to the chase. With 40 kilometres to go, the fourteen had less than 2:30 and several riders tried to get away. This resulted in the group splitting in two. Mas, Serry, Azparren, Goldstein, Govekar, Retailleau and – eventually – Gamper were in the first part.
By now, Burgos-BH and Equipo Kern Pharma had stopped chasing. EF Education-EasyPost took over for a while. Because Rivera and De la Cruz had dropped back, there was also no (major) threat for the overall: Goldstein was at 5:30. At the front it was all about the stage win now. The seven stayed together until 4 kilometres from the finish. Gamper attacked, but the Austrian was unsuccessful, as was Azparren, who also attempted to get away. In the final kilometres, Goldstein increased the pace, but the rest could follow and so it would come down to a sprint. Goldstein went early, but Retailleau got pas him, but Govekar passed him. The Slovenian, a new professional with Bahrain Victorious, took his first professional victory. Nothing happened between the favourites and there was no change: Pavel Sivakov remains in the lead in the general classification.
Stage winner, Matevž Govekar (Bahrain-Victorious): “Today was the plan in the team that if there was a big break, I try and join in the big break with 14 riders. In the final, I followed the attacks. When I saw the break might come to the finish line, I started to work a little bit, and in the end, it was really perfect. I think everyone was pretty much on the limit, so I knew that there was quite a difficult finish, but I stayed in the front, and I know I have a really strong sprint, and in the last 300m, I started to go full gas. It was amazing that I could win.”
2nd on the stage, Valentin Retailleau (AG2R Citroën): “I am a little disappointed to come so close to a first victory among the professionals but at the same time very happy with this result. It wasn’t missing much. The victory of Bastien (Tronchon) yesterday inspired me and I wanted to imitate him today. It would have been really nice to win one stage right after the other, but it’s still a great performance. I am satisfied with my day in the breakaway and with my physical condition. It’s my first professional race as a neo-pro (he’s been a professional since August 1, 2022) so it’s encouraging for the future.”
Vuelta a Burgos Stage 4 Result:
1. Matevž Govekar (Slo) Bahrain-Victorious in 3:36:18
2. Valentin Retailleau (Fra) AG2R Citroën
3. Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
5. Patrick Gamper (Aust) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:05
6. Xabier Mikel Azparren (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
7. Lluís Mas (Spa) Movistar at 0:12
8. Fernando Barceló (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA at 0:57
9. Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Jumbo-Visma at 1:10
10. David Martin (Spa) EOLO-Kometa at 1:16.
Vuelta a Burgos Overall After Stage 4:
1. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers in 14:53:57
2. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious at 0:23
3. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:26
4. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:28
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
8. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
9. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
10. Laurens De Plus (Bel) INEOS Grenadiers.
Burgos’22 stage 4:
Pavel Sivakov is the overall winner of the 2022 Tour of Burgos. In the last stage – with the finish on the climb of Lagunas de Neila – the Frenchman crossed the line in third place. The Stage 5 victory went to João Almeida.
The day started in Lermas for the 170 kilometre long final stage. From there it went over undulating terrain towards the foot of the final climb to Lagunas de Neila (12km at 6.2%). Overall leader Pavel Sivakov, who took the jersey on stage three, had a leading margin of 23 seconds on Santiago Buitrago. The rest of the top ten were within half a minute.
There was a lot of attacking action from the start and there was a big fight to get into the early break, seventeen riders looked to have managed to escape. This move included Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma), Gino Mäder (Bahrain Victorious) and his teammate Matevz Govekar, the stage 4 winner. The peloton didn’t let the leading group go, so everything came back together again. In the opening hour another leading group formed. Mäder was there again. This time they were allowed to go, but after 60 kilometres there was another general regrouping. The skirmishes didn’t stop. Several riders were still trying to get away, until Jetse Bol (Burgos-BH), Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech) and Carlos Canal (Euskaltel-Euskadi) managed to take a 4 minute lead. At one point, thanks to EF Education-EasyPost, Astana Qazaqstan and INEOS Grenadiers, the gap was reduced to around 2:30. The lead then remained more or less stable for a while. Towards the final climb the peloton accelerated, but Canal, who had dropped Bol and Frigo, held on strongly. At the foot of the climb he still had a lead of 1:30.
That turned out not to be enough. Frigo rejoined Canal and was the one who stayed ahead of the peloton the longest. With just over 7 kilometres to go, it was over for the Italian. He was caught and left behind by Juan Pedro López and Chris Harper. The Jumbo-Visma rider turned out to be the stronger of the two and continued solo. Harper had almost 20 seconds, but due to the pace of INEOS Grenadiers he was caught just 3 kilometres from the finish. Miguel Ángel López accelerated, but he didn’t make a big gap as Carlos Rodriguez was pulling the group of favourites. It was so fast that López was caught and others dropped. João Almeida was one of the dropped riders, but he managed to return in the final kilometre. The Portuguese rider had enough left to beat López. Sivakov took the overall victory. Almeida was second overall, López third.
Stage winner and 2nd overall, João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates): “Today went really well. It’s a special win as the last few months have been difficult, I haven’t been feeling too good on the bike and struggled to find my form. This week has been important as I’ve been riding my way into the week and today I felt good and attacked and took a win. The next goal is the Vuelta España in two weeks so I’m going there now with added confidence from today. Now I’ll rest up a bit, do the last training sessions and try and be ready for La Vuelta. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Final overall winner and 3rd on the stage, Pavel Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers): “I’m very happy. I didn’t expect to win even though I knew I was in great shape. It’s been a long time since I won so it’s very satisfying and it gives me a lot of confidence. I don’t know the selection for the Vuelta a España yet, it should be made in the team next week. We’ll see if I’m part of it. If not, we’ll talk about it and see what my schedule will be.”
2nd on the stage and 3rd overall, Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana): “It was my first race after a big break and I came here after a long period of recovering after my injury from the Giro d’Italia. So I can say that I am quite happy with my performance here, because after such a long period I am still missing the racing rhythm and it is normal, I still need some time to get in shape. I was hoping for a good result in this race and today I tried my best to win the stage and to reach the final podium. Well, I could not win, but I got a place on the final podium and I also won the mountain jersey, so this week looks good to me.”
Vuelta a Burgos Stage 5 Result:
1. João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates in 4:06:19
2. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana Qazaqstan
3. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:07
4. Carlos Rodríguez (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:15
5. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:21
6. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:28
7. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:33
8. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek-Segafredo at 0:43
9. Hugh Carthy (GB) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:48
10. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe.
Vuelta a Burgos Final Overall Result:
1. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) INEOS Grenadiers in 19:00:23
2. João Almeida (Pol) UAE Team Emirates at 0:35
3. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana Qazaqstan
4. Carlos Rodríguez (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:41
5. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at 0:42
6. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:47
7. Jai Hindley (Aus) BORA-hansgrohe at 0:52
8. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious at 1:06
9. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe at 1:09
10. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek-Segafredo at 1:18.
Burgos’22 stage 5:
Tour of Leuven – Memorial Jef Scherens 2022
Victor Campenaerts won the Tour of Leuven – Memorial Jef Scherens on Sunday. The Lotto Soudal rider beat Zdenek Štybar after a two-man sprint. The Tour of Leuven was largely ridden on the same course as the last World championships. Stybar and Campenaerts had escaped together from a strong leading group. Alexander Kristoff took third place.
The Tour of Leuven, last year the GP Jef Scherens, had a slightly adapted course. As well as the local city circuit there was also a loop in Flemish Brabant. The Flandrien loop was very similar to that of the World championships in Leuven. Also the final city circuits were almost the same as the World championships.
It took a while before a leading group escaped, but in the end five riders were off the front. Arjen Livyns (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Timo de Jong (VolkerWessels), Andreas Goeman (Tarteletto-Isorex), Jacob Scott (WiV SunGod) and Thijs de Lange (Metec SOLARWATT p/b Mantel). Julian Alaphilippe, who won the World championships in Leuven, put in an attack, but the Frenchman was soon pulled back by the peloton. Then four other riders jumped away to chase down the leaders. Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal), Kenneth Van Rooy (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Robert Scott (Wiv SunGod) and Ceriel Desal (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) made the crossing to the front group after a few kilometres. Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl thought a break of nine was too many and went on a counter-attack with Stijn Steels. However he didn’t reach the front runners, so Patrick Lefevere’s team was forced to chase. The leading group never had much of a lead. With 70 kilometres to go, on the local circuit, the lead was only 1:30. The local city circuit consisted of a few climbs, but also a lot of corners. The Wolfpack accelerated on almost every hill. They had assistance from Alpecin-Deceuninck and Israel-Premier Tech on the flat sections.
As a result, many riders had a hard time and the peloton was getting smaller and smaller. With a 50 kilometres to go, the lead of the nine men was less than 1 minute. That was the signal for Sep Vanmarcke to shake things up. Victor Campenaerts, Florian Vermeersch, Dries Van Gestel, Zdenek Štybar, Loïc Vliegen and Clément Russo joined him. At the Wijnpers, Arnaud De Lie jumped to the leading group, putting Lotto Soudal in a very strong position. At 40 kilometres from the finish there was a fusion between the two groups at the front. With four riders from Lotto Soudal in the first group, it became clear from which team the moves would come from. Still, John Lelangue’s riders had to be careful, because sprinter De Lie had to put in a lot of effort to catch them.
Behind; Dries De Bondt showed himself on the Wijnpersstraat, the most difficult climb on the local lap. The former Belgian champion didn’t get away, but did ensure an even smaller peloton. With 25 kilometres to go, De Lie was dropped, which immediately caused a new attack from Lotto Soudal’s camp. Campenaerts and Štyby joined forces. There was no proper chase behind and around 20 riders got together. The strong duo worked well and quickly gained a lead of 30 seconds. There was some effort to bring the second group back up, but that was not possible. The winner would come from the two off the front. Campenaerts realised that Stybar might be the faster finisher of the two, so he tried to jump on the Wijnpers. Štybar didn’t gave up and came back. The two of them drove on towards Bondgenotenlaan, where they sprinted for the win. Stybar started first, but Campenaerts countered. The World hour record holder came out strong to beat the Czech. Kristoff won the sprint for third place, Jasper De Buyst and Jenthe Biermans completed the top 5.
Race winner, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal): “The entire team was really motivated today and we showed that in the race. We really took the race into our own hands and created a really favourable situation in the final. With still three Lotto Soudal riders in the chasing group, I just had to win, right? Of course I wasn’t sure of my final sprint but I exercise these kinds of efforts a lot on training. So I had the necessary confidence that I could beat Stybar. I worked hard at altitude training camp and felt at the Tour de Wallonie that I was in the right shape. This I showed today by winning. As a pro cyclist, you only work towards one goal: winning races. It had been a while that I could raise my arms in the air and this really means a lot to me. As a cyclist, you make quite some sacrifices but this victory makes it all worthwhile. At Lotto Soudal, we are building a really nice project and this victory is another proof of that. And I am sure that a lot of moments like these are to come in the next weeks.”
2nd, Zdenek Štybar (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): “It’s a very mixed feeling. I am very sorry that I was not able to win, but on the other hand I am very happy that I can finally compete again for the win. I knew that was not the right position, but Victor knew that too. There was also a headwind, which was not ideal. When I started I immediately felt that my legs were tired, in the last 50 meters I even cramped. Victor was attacking and attentive from the start of the race, he deserves to win. In the end I have no regrets, the best one won today.”
3rd, Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “I concluded the Tour de France in a good shape and this was translated in an excellent feeling today. I attacked several times because I remembered the parcours of the previous World Championships, where I made the mistake to stay in the back hoping to save energy. But it is impossible to hide because there are so many corners and it is up and down all the time. I learned a lesson, I had to take initiative and that’s why I raced in the front today. This third place is a good sign for the next races, because August will be busy. The victory was possible today, but therefore a better cooperation was necessary in the chasing group. I’ll have a new chance this Wednesday in the Eurometropole Tour, where I hope to end on a higher step of the podium.”
Tour of Leuven – Memorial Jef Scherens Result:
1. Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal in 4:38:46
2. Zdeněk Štybar (CZ) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 0:20
4. Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
5. Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
6. Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
7. Jacob Scott (GB) WiV SunGod
8. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Deceuninck
9. Stan Van Tricht (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
10. Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis.
Leuven’22:
Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden 2022
Marianne Vos won the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden. The Dutch multi-champion of Jumbo-Visma was the best in a sprint of the leading group of four, but was disqualified afterwards. She was spotted using the puppy paws position, which is banned by the UCI. Audrey Cordon-Ragot, who finished second in the sprint, was the new winner. Pfeiffer Georgi and Valerie Demey moved up the podium to second and third.
On Saturday the Vårgårda WestSweden TTT was won by Trek-Segafredo, on Sunday it was the road race. The riders raced 125.7 kilometres in and around Vårgårda, partly on ‘gravel’ roads. This is the first edition of the race since 2019 as the corona pandemic caused its cancelation. Three years ago, the victory went to Italian Marta Bastianelli, who was not on the start-line in 2022.
Stine Borgli of FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope attacked early, but no one joined her, so she decided to ride solo ahead of the peloton for a long time. Several riders in the large group were eager to make the crossing to Borgli, but these attack attempts were soon shut down. Borgli had no problems on the three gravel sections, also not too much happened in the peloton, although there were a few crashes due to nervousness. All the riders who crashed were able to continue. Borgli had started the first finishing circuit. On the circuit there was a difficult climb, where the race could split. Several of the top riders decided after a sluggish early part of the race to lift the speed. Shirin van Anrooij accelerated several times and Demi Vollering and Marianne Vos also showed themselves at the front of the race, this didn’t achieve much, although this did end Borgli’s escape.
DSM then set the pace in the peloton and for a while there was no more attacks. That lasted until the penultimate lap, when Ellen van Dijk who jumped on one of the hills. A leading group formed including Van Dijk, Vollering, Vos, Lorena Wiebes and Audrey Cordon-Ragot, the French champion. Cordon-Ragot attacked taking Vos, Valerie Demey and Pfeiffer Geoergi with her. The foursome worked well together, there was no organisation behind them. Going into the last lap they had a lead of 10 seconds. In the new leading group Georgi didn’t work as she had a very fast teammate, Wiebes, in the chase group. Demey also didn’t do too much work and had to give everything on the hills to hold on. They held a 15 second lead on the peloton and so a sprint between the four was guaranteed. Cordon-Ragot started a strong sprint. Vos countered the French rider relatively quickly. Another victory for Vos, after her successful Tour de France Femmes last month. Georgi crossed the line in third, Demey was just behind in fourth. In the peloton there was a sprint for fifth place, which went to Wiebes.
Afterwards, the UCI announced on Twitter that they had disqualified Vos after she had been seen riding in the puppy paws position for a few seconds. This is no longer allowed and the Dutchwoman lost her win.
Race winner, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo): “To be honest I have mixed feelings. I am very happy with the race I did, very proud of the performance of my teammates. We showed our strength with great teamwork and my role was to complete the huge work. That was the most important thing for me that happened in this race and what I will remember about it. On the other hand, it is a strange situation. After the finish I was happy with my second place, and I am still here to be proud of. I had no regrets as I was beaten by the strongest rider in the pack at the time. I certainly wasn’t ashamed to be second. But then they told me I was the winner and my name would be on the record. Kudos to Marianne, who was the first to realise that a rule is a rule and accepted the sanction. Rules are rules. This day, with my good performance and the victory – even if it was unexpected – is a good reward for the efforts and sacrifices I have made since the beginning of the year. Win or not win, I feel today is a day to enjoy. I’m not proud and happy because I won, but because I and the team rode strong.”
Disqualified, Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma): “It sucks, but it’s nothing new. When I sat in that puppy paw position, I realised after a few seconds that it was not allowed. Then I transferred to the correct position as quickly as possible. Apparently it was enough for the UCI to disqualify me. We’ll have to accept that. It’s a shame, but it’s a rule. That rule is strictly enforced. I’m disappointed because it didn’t benefit me, but rules are rules. It went very well today. It took a while to get back on track. The past week was all about recovering from the Tour. Then you suddenly find yourself in the hectic pace of a race. The team helped me a lot to get back into it. We were alert and had a good position in front. I’m happy with the way we rode this race.”
Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden Result:
1. Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo in 3:10:47
2. Pfeiffer Georgi (GB) DSM
3. Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra at 0:06
4. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) DSM at 0:10
5. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar at 0:12
6. Tamara Dronova-Balabolina (-) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
7. Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
8. Tereza Neumanova (CZ) Liv Racing Xstra
9. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope
10. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon//SRAM.
Vårgårda WestSweden’22:
Commonwealth Games – Road Race 2022
Aaron Gate took the road title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 31 year-old New Zealander was the best of a sizeable leading group, which split in the final. He beat Daryl Impey (South Africa) and Finn Crockett (Scotland), who took silver and bronze medals. The women’s win went to Georgia Baker. The Australian won ahead of Neah Evans and Sarah Roy.
The course was on fairly flat roads in and around Warwick, the route didn’t have much to split the race. The race was held on a circuit of 16 kilometres with only 130 metres of climbing, to be completed ten times, the women seven times. Due to the limited field of participants and smaller teams, an unpredictable race was expected. A large leading group managed to get away halfway through the race. Among the 15 leaders were big names like Geraint Thomas, Ben Turner, Daryl Impey, Fred Wright, Lucas Plapp and Ben Swift, as well as Seann Flynn and Sam Watson. Mark Cavendish, Patrick Bevin, Luke Durbridge, Jake Stewart and Ethan Vernon had missed the move and would not play a part in the race, eventually crossing the line more than 8 minutes after the winner.
In the battle for victory, twelve riders would eventually compete for the medals. Morne van Niekerk worked hard for Impey, but it was Thomas who made an attack just under 2 kilometres from the finish. He tried to surprise the fast-finishers, but the England riders pulled him back in the final kilometre. Wright then immediately started his sprint, with Impey on his wheel. Gate took advantage of the lead-out and grabbed another gold medal. The New Zealander added to the three he already has. Gate also rides on the track and had won gold in the Points Race, the Individual Pursuit and the Team Pursuit. Gate (31) has never raced at the top level on the road. Before racing for An Post-ChainReaction, he performed on the Continental circuit in 2015 and 2016, earning him a professional contract with Aqua Blue Sport. For the last three seasons he has ridden for Black Spoke. It was rumoured last year that Gate would join INEOS Grenadiers, but it didn’t happen. This year he won the Oceanian time trial, the Tour of Greece and was tenth in the Baloise Belgium Tour.
Commonwealth Games – Road Race Result:
1. Aaron Gate (New Zealand) in 3:28:29
2. Daryl Impey (South Africa)
3. Finn Crockett (Scotland)
4. Matthew Teggart (Northern Ireland)
5. Fred Wright (England)
6. Luke Plapp (Australia) at 0:03
7. Ben Turner (England) at 0:18
8. Geraint Thomas (Wales) at 0:22
9. Sam Culverwell (Guernsey) at 0:24
10. Sean Flynn (Scotland).
Commonwealth Games’22 Road Race:
Dennis Takes Gold Medal in Commonwealth Games Time Trial
Rohan Dennis has won the time trial at the Commonwealth Games. The Australian of Team Jumbo-Visma won with a convincing margin over his competitors and raced to the gold medal.
At the Commonwealth Games, the riders represent their country. Dennis competed in the Australian jersey. The two-time world time trial champion did this superbly and showed from start to finish that he was the strongest. In the end, Dennis took the gold with a 26-second lead over Fred Wright and secured his second season victory.
“It’s an honour. It’s great to finally be on the top spot of the podium here”, Dennis said.
Dennis had a lot of support in the UK, which surprised him positively. “I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of Australian flags along the side of the road. I didn’t build up the race well. Perhaps, the nerves were to blame. In the end, everything fell into place and I took the gold. I am thrilled with this”, said the new champion.
2022 Commonwealth Games Men’s Time Trial Result:
1. Rohan Dennis (Australia) in 46:21
2. Fred Wright (England at 0:26
3. Geraint Thomas (Wales) at 0:28
4. Aaron Gate (New Zealand) at 2:22
5. Luke Plapp (Australia) at 2:26
6. John Archibald (Scotland) at 2:33
7. Owain Doull (Wales) at 2:44
8. Darren Rafferty (Northern Ireland) at 2:50
9. Tom Sexton (New Zealand) at 3:20
10. Andreas Miltiadis (Cyprus) at 3:29.
Commonwealth Games TT champion Rohan Dennis:
Primoz Roglič Resumes Training Two Weeks Before la Vuelta
Primož Roglič is training outside again for the first time since his retirement from the Tour de France. The Slovenian of Jumbo-Visma announced on Facebook on Thursday. “I’m finally back on the road,” said Roglič.
With two weeks to go until the Vuelta a España, which starts on Friday 19 August in Utrecht, it doesn’t give Roglič much time. The GC rider has won the last three editions of the Spanish Grand Tour and is scheduled to ride the 2022 Vuelta, provided he is fit enough. In the Tour de France, Roglič crashed on the cobble stage, after which he abandoned with back problems on the 15th stage. There was talk of two broken vertebrae, but this has never been confirmed by Jumbo-Visma.
Manager, Merijn Zeeman, didn’t want to put an end to Roglič’s Vuelta participation in the final weekend of the Tour. “It’s clear where those extreme pains came from. Primož hopes to make it to the Vuelta. It will be difficult, but we will have to look at that in the coming weeks,” said Zeeman. “We are still hopeful. It will all depend on his recovery.”
Will Roglič be ready for la Vuelta?
Juan Ayuso Commits His Future to UAE Team Emirates Until 2028
Young Spanish talent pens long-term extension
UAE Team Emirates are pleased to announce the contract extension of Juan Ayuso who has renewed his existing deal to stay at the team until the end of 2028. Ayuso joined the team midway through 2021 with the 19-year old part of the teams long term plan to develop young talented riders. Although still in his first full professional season and being one of the youngest riders on the pro circuit, Ayuso has already tasted his first professional victory at the Circuito de Getxo in Spain earlier this month.
The young Spaniard will now look to continue his development alongside the Emirati squad for the foreseeable future.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl signs Jan Hirt, Tim Merlier and Casper Pedersen
The most successful team in the peloton, The Wolfpack added three new riders to its roster
The first of these is 31-year-old Czech Jan Hirt, who signed until the end of 2024. A pro since 2015, he will reinforce the team’s climbing contingent after a strong season which saw him win the Tour of Oman and finish sixth overall at the Giro d’Italia, where he also claimed a stage victory in Aprica.
Hailing from Wortegem-Petegem, 29-year-old Tim Merlier – who inked an agreement with the team which runs until the end of 2025 – started out in cyclo-cross, earning a national title in the Juniors, before eventually transitioning to road cycling. There he has taken some significant victories as a sprinter, including stages at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, Brussels Cycling Classic and Classic Brugge-De Panne. This June, Tim also became Belgian National Champion for the second time in his career, meaning the Wolfpack will welcome back the famous jersey to its ranks, as Tim will be joining Remco Evenepoel, who holds the time trial title.
Last but not least, Casper Pedersen will also proudly wear the team’s colours from 2023 onwards, having agreed on a two-year contract. A multiple medalist at the European Track Championships, Casper turned pro in 2018 and it didn’t take him too much to show his qualities, just two years later winning one of the oldest races on the calendar, Paris-Tours. Since then, the 26-year-old Dane also confirmed his lead-out abilities in a number of races, which have brought him into the attention of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
“We are really pleased with the business we have done and that we have been able to bring in three quality riders to strengthen our squad for the coming years. I think my admiration for Tim is well documented and it will be fantastic to see both Belgian National Champion jerseys back in the Wolfpack”, Patrick Lefevere said.
“I have also been impressed by the talents of Casper Pedersen. I think he can look at his countryman Michael Mørkøv, with whom he shares many similar traits and learn a lot from. And we have Jan Hirt, who brings his climbing talents. He has been strong for a number of years, as we saw in this year’s Giro d’Italia. He has the talent to make results for himself but he also works really hard for others.”
“All three riders are great individual talents, but are also great team men, who I think will fit well into the Wolfpack and its philosophy, and we are looking forward to working with them”, concluded Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s CEO.
Tim Merlier to Quick-Step:
Chris Harper Follows Australian Roots Joining Team BikeExchange-Jayco & Strengthening the Climbing Squad
Australian rider Chris Harper will join Team BikeExchange-Jayco on a two-year contract, a welcomed addition boosting the team’s climbing group, as the squad continues to target general classification success.
Harper, a well-known rider within the Australian team, will bring a wealth of WorldTour experience with him, as a valuable and capable domestique in week-long stage races and Grand Tours.
After a couple of seasons interrupted by illness and injury, the 27-year-old is ready for a fresh start with GreenEDGE Cycling, with the team’s vision of having the rider from Melbourne as a key part of their future general classification success.
Brent Copeland – General Manager: “It is always good for us to bring Australian talent to the team, we have a few younger riders making the step up to the WorldTour by joining our team, and we hope we can develop them well in the next years, but with Chris, he is already a well-established rider with lots of experience, so it is very motivating for us to welcome him onto the team. Chris already knows a lot of the riders and staff well, being a rider from Australia, and we have only heard great things about him and seen how he has played a valuable role as a domestique rider in the biggest stage races in the world. We can’t wait to get started and we are confident it is going to be a great addition having Chris on our team in the hilly races.”
Chris Harper: “I’m very excited to join Team BikeExchange-Jayco for the coming two seasons. Being an Australian, I’ve always admired the team and had a lot of respect for the staff and riders so it is exciting to be joining them. I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my career and finding some good goals over the coming season and I hope that I can contribute to a lot of success within the team.”
Chris Harper
Date of Birth: 23rd November 1994 (27)
Nationality: Australian
Joins GreenEDGE Cycling: 2023 & 2024
Top Results:
1st Tour of Japan – Overall (2019)
1st Tour of Japan – Stage 6 (2019
1st Oceania Continental Championships (2018)
1st Le Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc
2nd Australian Championships – Road Race (2019)
3rd Australian Championships – Time Trial (2018 & 2020)
4th UAE Tour – Overall (2021).
Junior Star Josh Tarling Signs with the INEOS Grenadiers
INEOS Grenadiers’ investment in young talent continues with the exciting addition of 18-year-old British rider Josh Tarling.
Tarling will graduate from the junior ranks to the Grenadiers in 2023, having signed a three-year deal.
The Welshman finished runner up in last year’s junior time trial world championships and has not lost a time trial in the junior ranks since. This week Tarling competed on the track for Wales at the Commonwealth Games.
Tarling said: “Growing up watching Team Sky and then Team INEOS, I dreamt of one day being on that bus and in the jersey. I am excited to become a Grenadier and continue developing and learning from the likes of G, Ethan, Flippo as well as all the coaching staff and management. I am aware it’s a big step but witnessing how the team has invested in a core group of young riders, it is the perfect environment for my development over the coming seasons.”
Tarling will focus on the track as well as road racing, following the same multi-discipline approach as several of his new Grenadier teammates.
Deputy Team Principal Rod Ellingworth welcomed Tarling to the team: “We are delighted to have another young British talent join the group. Josh is only 18 and we’re already seeing some big performances from him. His TT at last year’s world championships was one of those standout performances and now we want to support and help Josh build upon results like that as part of our talent programme. There is a network in place to develop him further and allow him to become the kind of rider he wants to be.”
Andrea Piccolo Signs with EF Education-EasyPost
We are excited to announce the signing of Andrea Piccolo to the squad. The twenty-one-year-old Italian rider will make his debut for the team at the Tour de l’Ain on August 9th.
Piccolo, who finished second at the Circuito de Getxo last week, has been turning heads for a few years now. Ever since his third place finish at the world junior time trial in 2018 when he was just seventeen, the young Italian rider has accumulated strong results both in time trials and road races at all levels.
“For me, of course the jersey is a huge bonus,” chuckles Piccolo. “All the teams are good in the WorldTour but I was excited about the prospect of joining EF Education-EasyPost. It’s a big honour for me.”
In 2019, he won the junior individual time trials at both the European continental championships and the Italian national championships before finishing in the top three in both road races as well. Over the next two years, he accumulated more top results in stages races, one day races and international events and quickly solidified his reputation as one of the top cycling prospects of his generation.
“Andrea is the best talent in Italy,” says EF Education-EasyPost CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “I really look forward to seeing what’s in store for Andrea. My expectations are quite high. I wouldn’t be surprised if he won a pro race before the end of the year and shocked a few people.”
The future was bright for Piccolo after he signed his first WorldTour contract when he was just 19 years old but some misfortune and medical issues put a dent in his plans. Now the young Italian knows better days are ahead of him.
“The last two years have been really challenging for me,” says Piccolo. “But I am thankful for my family and for the courage they have given me to get here. This year, I have found a good path and I am really happy. Everything is looking good.”
“A climber who can sometimes go pretty fast” as he puts it, Piccolo’s path to cycling seemed obvious. With an ex-pro father and an older brother who also raced bikes professionally, Piccolo has always had fond memories of riding bikes.
“I love riding my bike,” says Piccolo. “I love being out in nature and I love the feeling you get when you are on your bike. There’s nothing quite like it.”
For a rider who has spent so much of his young life in the spotlight, Andrea Piccolo enjoys a quiet lifestyle. He still goes for rides with his brother and father and when he’s not riding he says he likes to live “a normal life”.
We are excited to see where his career takes him! Join us in welcoming Andrea to the team!
Andrea Piccolo to EF:
Jacopo Guarnieri reinforces Lotto Dstny sprint train
The experienced Italian rider Jacopo Guarnieri (34) will become part of the sprint train for Lotto Soudal sprinters Caleb Ewan and Arnaud De Lie. Guarnieri, former winner of stages in the Belgian races Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, Circuit Franco-Belge and two stages in the Tour de Pologne, has signed a two-year contract.
Jacopo Guarnieri has years of experience in sprint finishes. In the beginning of his career he fought for wins himself, later he specialised in the lead-out for other top sprinters. “I was actually flattered by the interest of Lotto Dstny, which will be the name of the team from 2023 on”, comments Guarnieri on his signing. “This is a team with a great history of sprinters and lead-out trains. The team is fully focused on winning bunch sprints and with Caleb Ewan and Arnaud De Lie there are two really fast guys for me to work for. I have had a good talk with Caleb Ewan already and I am looking forward to the next two seasons.”
The signing of Guarnieri is part of the ever ongoing process of improving the Lotto Soudal sprint train. “When working with a sprint train you always have to keep looking for improvements”, says Lotto Soudal CEO John Lelangue. “The work is never done. With Caleb Ewan we have one of the fastest sprinters of the peloton, but Arnaud De Lie has proven this year that he deserves to be surrounded by strong riders who know how to guide a sprinter too. Therefore, it is crucial for us to bring some extra experience and fast legs into our sprint train.”
“A lead-out is more than just power or luck”, adds Jacopo Guarnieri. “In my former teams I was responsible for the organisation of the sprint train as well. A good feeling amongst all involved in the train is crucial. Of course, there are a lot of strong guys already, but I want to bring something extra to this team with my experience.”
Jacopo Guarnieri to Lotto:
Israel – Premier Tech welcomes Dylan Teuns in mid-season transfer
Dylan Teuns joins Israel – Premier Tech effective immediately
Dylan Teuns: “I can’t wait to race with Israel – Premier Tech”
IPT Partner Sylvan Adams: “Dylan is a proven winner”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström: “Dylan will play a key role for the rest of the season”
Israel – Premier Tech is excited to welcome two-time Tour de France stage winner Dylan Teuns to the team in a mid-season transfer deal in cooperation with Bahrain – Victorious.
The 30-year-old Belgian joins IPT for the remainder of the 2022 season through to 2024 and will add depth to the team’s roster says IPT Partner Sylvan Adams.
“Dylan Teuns is a versatile rider and gives Israel – Premier Tech more depth in both the Classics as well as the Grand Tours. He is also a proven winner, which I know will continue as he rides for our team,” says Adams.
Teuns is impressed with IPT’s progress in recent years which saw the team celebrate its best Tour de France to date this year.
“Israel – Premier Tech is a team that has really stepped up over the last years and it was great to see the team bring home two stage wins at the Tour de France. I think the team is on the way to becoming one of the top teams and this is a great time to join and deliver some more results. I feel I will be able to play a key role in the races that suit me most and together with IPT’s other leaders, we can be a really strong team,” explains Teuns.
After a successful season including victory at La Flèche Wallonne and Tour de Romandie stage 1, Teuns jumped at the opportunity to join IPT earlier than planned.
“I was already talking to IPT about joining in 2023 but then Sylvan Adams offered me the chance to make the switch now and start my contract immediately, which I am really grateful for. I had three and a half great years with Bahrain – Victorious where I won my biggest races and I want to thank them for everything. I am really excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to race with Israel – Premier Tech.”
IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström is looking forward to seeing Teuns hit the ground running this month.
“We still have some of the biggest races of the season to come, many of which play to Dylan’s strength as a rider. Dylan will be targeting the Vuelta a España and the Italian Classics at the end of the season and we believe he can play a key role for us there. We have no doubt Dylan will fit in easily with the team and this will be the start of a successful partnership,” adds Carlström.
Dylan’s arrival at IPT comes off the back of a mutual agreement between IPT and Israeli rider Guy Sagiv to end Sagiv’s season prematurely, allowing Sagiv to pursue other endeavours for the remainder of the season.
Team BikeExchange-Jayco signs highly rated Italian champion Filippo Zana
Team BikeExchange-Jayco welcome Italian champion Filippo Zana to the team on a three-year contract starting in 2023, enhancing the squad’s general classification contingency with his all-round strengths.
The highly regarded 23-year-old proved his talents with an impressive win at the Italian road race championships in June, after a stellar season that saw him take the overall victory at the Adriatica Ionica Race.
Despite his age, Zana already has Grand Tour experience, completing the Giro d’Italia on three occasions, and GreenEDGE Cycling believe the youngster from Piovene Rocchette can become a star of the future in the three-week races.
Brent Copeland – General Manager: “It is always special to have national champions on the team and we are delighted to be bringing Filippo onboard for next season. He is only 23 years old but has so much experience already and is certainly a rider we have been interested in for a while now and a rider we see a bright future with. He has demonstrated on multiple occasions that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level, and he proved that with a fantastic win this season at the Italian championships. We are continuing to grow and strengthen our team for the Grand Tours and Filippo will play a big role in that. We hope he will be a valuable contributor to many more of our successes and also have more success himself in GreenEDGE Cycling colours.”
Filippo Zana:
“It is a dream come true for me to join such an important team as GreenEDGE Cycling. It is something that I desired since I started cycling when I was six years old, to join one of the best teams in the peloton. I have lots of emotions and lots of motivation to train more and better to keep improving and pay off the trust Team BikeExchange-Jayco is giving to me, from Brent to all the staff I have been speaking with. We have many goals and we will try to achieve them. Of course next year will also be important for me to keep honouring the Italian national champion’s jersey, and to start off on a good path with this jersey will be even more important for me. Of course, I must thank everyone who has supported and helped me so far in my career, this next chapter is about to begin and I can’t wait to begin to also pay back the hard work I put in over these years.”
Filippo Zana
Date of Birth: 18th March 1999 (23)
Nationality: Italy
Joins GreenEDGE Cycling: 2023, 2024 & 2025
Top Results:
1st Italian Championships – Road Race (2022)
1st Adriatica Ionica Race – Overall (2022)
3rd Tour de l’Avenir – Overall (2021)
1st Sazka Tour – Overall (2021)
1st GP Course de la Paix Jeseniky (2021).
Majka, Ulissi, McNulty & Bjerg all renew with UAE Team Emirates
Four riders sign through to 2024
UAE Team Emirates are pleased to announce the renewal of four more riders with Rafal Majka, Diego Ulissi, Brandon McNulty and Mikkel Bjerg extending their deals through to the end of the 2024 season.
Majka joined the squad in 2021 and was a key player in the Tour de France victory of that year, with the Polish veteran also tasting personal success in stage victories at the Vuelta España and the Tour of Slovenia in his tenure at the Emirati squad.
Ulissi has been with the team from the outset, and has also been amongst its most successful and consistent performers over many years with 54 career wins to his name.
McNulty and Bjerg both came on board in 2020 as part of the teams long-term strategy to develop young talent and will continue on that path for the following seasons. McNulty has taken 3 victories this season while Bjerg has been a key domestique and featured in the top-10 in numerous time trials.
Simon Clarke Set to Stay with IPT Until 2024
Simon Clarke: “This new contract is a reward for never giving up”
Sylvan Adams, IPT Partner: “Simon has proved his worth as a teammate and a winner in his own right”
Kjell Carlström, IPT General Manager: “Simon has become an integral part of IPT”
From not having a team at the end of 2021, to going on to score the biggest win of his career at the Tour de France, Simon Clarke’s 2022 season is a perfect example of persistence and hard work.
After signing a last-minute deal with Israel – Premier Tech for the 2022 season, the 36-year-old Australian has added another two years to his contract and will continue his successful chapter with IPT in 2023 and 2024.
Clarke has quickly established himself as a key member of the IPT roster explains General Manager Kjell Carlström.
“When we signed Simon Clarke at the beginning of the season, we knew to expect a professional and hard-working rider but really, we couldn’t have asked for more. Simon hit the ground running with a number of strong performances at the start of the season and then seeing him win on the cobbles at the Tour de France was really an incredible moment. Simon has quickly become an integral part of our team and it is our pleasure to sign Simon again for the next two seasons,” says Carlström.
Persistence pays off
For Clarke, a new contract with Israel – Premier Tech is a testament to his ‘never give up’ attitude.
“It has been a huge rollercoaster in 2022 for me. Obviously ending the 2021 season with no team and then just chipping away, staying committed nonetheless, then getting a chance with Israel – Premier Tech, and then going on to having what has probably been one of the best seasons of my career. You have to take the ups and the downs but it has been a great year. I feel like the stage win in the Tour de France and the new contract I have signed is basically a reward for never giving up, sticking at it, staying positive even in the difficult times,” explains Clarke. “I’m super happy to stay on with IPT considering they were the team that gave me that lifeline when I had no team. It was an easy decision to stick with the people that gave me that chance for the future. I’ve keen to stay on for a couple more years and hopefully we can continue the way this year has started.”
As IPT Partner Sylvan Adams admits, IPT always had its sights set on Clarke: “I have a confession to make about Simon Clarke. We wanted to sign him in 2021, but our roster was at capacity and it simply was not possible. But, when Simon fell out of contract due to the unfortunate demise of the Qhubeka team, we were able to correct that error, and Simon was added as our last roster addition. Simon has done everything we expected, and has proved his worth both as the consummate teammate, but also as a winner in his own right, as we saw on the mythical cobblestone stage 5 of the Tour de France. It’s great to have him back, and I wish Simon and IPT great success together in the next years,” says Adams.
Clarke and IPT: A winning combination
Clarke’s Tour de France stage win was not only the first in his career, but the first for Israel – Premier Tech. Although he may have achieved his biggest career goal, that’s not stopping Clarke from going for more.
“A stage win in the Tour is definitely my biggest career objective and to have ticked that off with Israel – Premier Tech this year has been great for me personally, but also for the team,” adds Clarke. “It was an honour to get the team their first Tour stage win. Next year, I just want to continue in the same fashion. I’ve set off on the right foot this year with this team and I plan to continue as I’ve been doing and hopefully some results keep coming.”
Tour stage win for Simon Clarke:
Trentin, Laengen and Oliveira twins all renew with UAE Team Emirates
Riders commit with Emirati squad through 2023
UAE Team Emirates are pleased to announce the renewal of four riders with Matteo Trentin, Vegard Stake Laengen and both Ivo and Rui Oliveira extending their deals through to the end of the 2023 season.
Trentin joined the team at the beginning of 2021 and is an important figure in the squads Northern Classics campaign.
Laengen has been involved with UAE since the teams foundation in 2017 and was with the squad during both Tour de France triumphs in both 2020 & 2021.
Both Ivo and Rui Oliveira have developed from a young age with the team and are steadily finding their place at the head of the pro peloton.
Tom Dumoulin Can Expect a Call From Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert hopes to give Tom Dumoulin a role within the team in the future. Performance manager Aike Visbeek said this in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. He sees in Dumoulin, who will stop racing at the end of this season, someone who can help the team with time trials.
Visbeek and Dumoulin know each other well from their time at Team Sunweb, where they worked closely together in the year that the he won the Giro d’Italia. Visbeek is one of the sporting managers at Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert and Dumoulin has been racing for Jumbo-Visma for three years, and recently announced that he would stop cycling after 2022. Visbeek does not yet know where Dumoulin’s future lies after his career, but he does have an idea. “We can still make progress in time trials. We are working with our bike supplier Cube to improve a number of components. That doesn’t just require resources. You also need manpower for that.”
“Someone who can take us to the next level is Tom Dumoulin. He can expect another call from me. If he likes to lend us a hand, we would be very happy to engage him,” announced Visbeek. In 2023, Biniam Girmay, Mike Teunissen, Rui Costa, Louis Meintjes, Gerben Thijssen, Taco van der Hoorn and Boy van Poppel will race for the Belgian WorldTeam.
Dumoulin to work with Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert:
Thijs and Toon Aerts to Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Although it is the middle of summer and the transfer market for road cycling has just opened, the cross teams are also getting organised. Earlier this week it was announced that Laurens Sweeck will move from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal to the Crelan team of the Roodhooft brothers on 1 January. Thijs and Toon Aerts now leave Baloise Trek Lions for Tormans CX.
The Aerts brothers will probably join the newly set up continental training team of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, which will probably operate under the name Tormans. However, there is a ‘but’ to the transfer of Toon Aerts. He is still awaiting the end of the doping case in which he is involved. The deal with Tormans and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert will only take place if the UCI acquits the Belgian. That has still not happened.
In recent seasons Quinten Hermans, Corné van Kessel, Joran Wyseure and Emiel Verstrynge raced for Tormans CX. After a flirt with Patrick Lefevere, investor Jan Tormans lost three of his four riders: Wyseure and Verstrynge are now riding for the training team of Alpecin-Deceuninck and Quinten Hermans will switch to the WorldTour team on 1 January 2023. Corné van Kessel will have to look for a new employer.
Wyseure and Verstrynge will be riding in Crelan’s colours next winter, just like Laurens Sweeck. Hermans will be with Niels Vandeputte, David and Mathieu van der Poel in cyclo-cross for Alpecin-Deceuninck. This also applies to Gianni Vermeersch and until 1 January for Tim Merlier, he then switches to Soudal-Quick Step. Baloise-Trek continue with Lars van der Haar, Thibau Nys and Pim Ronhaar.
Toon Aerts to Tormans (maybe):
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB Announces New Cyclocross Program
US national cyclocross champion Clara Honsinger to race year-round for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB is proud to announce that Clara Honsinger, who currently races a road program for the team, will also race a cyclocross program for the team beginning with the 2022-2023 CX season.
Honsinger is the reigning, back-to-back US national cyclocross champion. She began racing cyclocross as a teenager when a teacher introduced her to the sport. She continued to race cyclocross on the weekends while she attended university in Portland, Oregon. Cyclocross was Honsinger’s introduction to bike racing which she loved so much that she began to explore other disciplines, including road racing.
In 2021, Honsinger turned professional on the road, signing with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB. From day one, team founder and owner, Linda Jackson, supported Honsinger racing both road and cyclocross, but when Honsinger’s previous cyclocross team folded in March, Jackson immediately reached out to the young American. “Given how highly we think of Clara across both road and cyclocross, we decided to make Clara an offer to support her cyclocross program through EF Education-TIBCO-SVB,” Jackson says. “She races Cannondale for cyclocross and for road, so it was a natural fit.”
The opportunity to race both programs for one team simplifies life for Honsinger in many ways. “I’ve always wanted to do my best for the road program but then I also want to show up for my cyclocross season and there’s a bit of tension between that,” Honsinger says. “I think that’s one of the greatest things about being under the same program. Having it all be on one team, that’s a relief that I get to work for my team on both ends. We’re working towards one goal and that’s to get good results for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB.”
Racing year-round for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB also allows Honsinger to take full advantage of the team’s resources and infrastructure. Christel Herremans, the logistics manager for the road team, has a long history of running cyclocross programs in Belgium. “Christel has a ton of experience working with cyclocross,” says Honsinger. “It’s awesome to have both the foundation of the team and the experience of Christel put together in a cool program.”
Because Honsinger will now ride exclusively for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, planning her training and race calendar will be less complicated. “I think it will lead to better results. I’ll be stronger and fitter for both road and cyclocross.”
Jackson agrees. “We will be much better able to plan Clara’s integration with the team after the cyclocross season and more accurately fine tune her road preparation,” Jackson says. “Clara has already shown how her cyclocross skills translate to road success. Look for more to come on that front.”
Indeed, Honsinger’s cyclocross skills have translated nicely onto the road. In January, she won the fabled Koppenbergcross, the first American to do so. Just a few months later, that experience on the Belgian cobbles, the Koppenberg in particular, helped Honsinger get in the breakaway at the Tour of Flanders. All told, she spent 100 kilometres at the front of the race, getting caught only as she approached the crest of the familiar Koppenberg.
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s new cyclocross program gets underway in September when Honsinger races Go Cross in Virginia as preparation for UCI World Cups Waterloo and Fayetteville the following month. The cyclocross jersey will differ from the road jersey by reflecting contributing partners to the cyclocross program, currently including Cannondale, Muc-Off, POC, WHOOP, and EF.
Clara Honsinger:
Jempy Drucker to be Luxembourg National Coach
Jempy Drucker, the former rider of BMC, BORA-hansgrohe and other teams, failed to secure a new contract last winter, will become national coach of the Luxembourg Cycling Federation (FSCL).
In 2021 Drucker raced for Cofidis. The now 35-year-old Luxembourger wanted to continue, but couldn’t find a team and decided to retire. After working with the U23’s he will now step up to the national team job. “Jempy brings many years of experience at the highest level, both on the road and in cyclocross,” the FSCL said in a press release.
“He has been a professional until recently, rode for the most successful professional teams and started many important races. He will pass on his knowledge to our young talents and guide them on their sporting and personal path.” Drucker considers that his mission as well: “We have always had young talents in Luxembourg who have found their way to the highest international level. I see it above all as my task to prepare the new generation for modern cycling in the best possible way.”
“Especially in recent years, a lot has changed in terms of professionalism in cycling and I want to share my knowledge so that Luxembourg athletes continue to find their place among the leading professional teams,” said Drucker, who won four races during his cycling career. He won two stages in the Tour de Luxembourg, a stage in the Tour of Spain and the Prudential RideLondon & Surrey Classic.
New Luxembourg coach, Jempy Drucker:
Trofeo Matteotti Canceled in 2022
The Italian autumn race, the Trofeo Matteotti, was scheduled for September 18 this year, but has been canceled due to ‘organisational and timing reasons’. The organisers announced on Wednesday.
“The Trofeo Matteotti will not take place this year,” the organisers wrote. “The competition has been postponed to 2023. This year would be an anniversary edition, the 75th. The postponement is due to organisational and timing reasons, which do not allow us to prepare adequately behind the scenes for Sunday September 18, the planned date. The race was scheduled a week before the World championship in Wollongong, Australia.”
The Trofeo Matteotti, which was organised in July in the past, has been held in the second part of September for several years. This year it had competition from the World championships. Although the road race is held a week later, it is in Australia. This creates additional difficulties in getting a full field of participants. Last year Matteo Trentin took the win. It was his second victory in the Italian semi-classic, which has been on the calendar since 1945. Francesco Moser, Felice Gimondi, Moreno Argentin, Frank Vandenbroucke and Paolo Bettini are also previous winners.
2021 Matteotti winner, Matteo Trentin:
Link My Ride App, Co-Founded by Pro Cyclist Tom Pidcock, Backed by Dutch Sport Tech Fund
Link My Ride, the community focused app facilitating cycling socially by allowing riders, clubs and brands to connect with each other simply and safely via an easy-to-use smartphone app and desktop platform has gained the backing of the Dutch Sport Tech Fund.
Founded by professional cyclist Tom Pidcock, a Tour de France stage winner and rider for Team INEOS, together with former teammate turned co-founder Jacques Sauvagnargues, Link My Ride is in the final phases of development ahead of launching towards the end of this year. The backing of the Dutch Sport Tech Fund supports further development of the platform and a comprehensive global launch, while also opening up an industry network of sports, tech and data companies supported by the Fund.
Co-Founder and CEO of Link My Ride, Jacques Sauavagnargues commented: “We are really excited to have the support of such a well renowned sport fund. Their confidence in how we’re looking to connect cyclists all around the world more simply and conveniently gives us even more confidence as we head towards our public launch towards the end of this year. There are many clear synergies within their portfolio and contact base that can aid the growth of Link My Ride.”
Alexander Jannsen, CEO of the Dutch Sport Tech Fund, added: “As a fund we were eager to penetrate the cycling market and community. Link my Ride stood out, ticking all the boxes; a great business model, founders, advisors and influencers; a charitable focus, a young and ambitious team, a cool app… and a co-founder who has just won the Alpe d’Huez stage of the Tour de France in Tom Pidcock.
“Our Fund is extremely proud to be part of this winning team. We look forward to working together with Link My Ride to support the growth of a globally booming sport.”
Link My Ride is designed to simplify organising group rides, whether you are a club or a cyclist, thanks to a range of smart features aimed at convenience and creating connections. Riders can quickly and easily find rides within the community suited to their ability, discipline and location.
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